There was a comment left a few weeks back in comments regarding the whereabouts of defenseman Jan Zapletal who seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth after spending most of last season with the Vsetin organization in the Czech Republic. Well, Zapletal is playing in the Czech 2.liga (third tier) for VSKA Technika Brno where he has 1 goal and 4 points in 19 games with 28 penalty minutes and an even rating.

Defenseman Marek Posmyk, whom you might remember was acquired along with Mike Johnson in the Darcy Tucker trade many moons ago, is still playing in the Extraliaga for Ceske Budejovice (now going by the name HC Mountfield) where he has 8 goals and 12 points in 36 games with 67 penalty minutes and a -10 rating. Incidentally, looking through the Extraliga leading scorers, I can't believe Robert Reichel is still alive and playing hockey.

In Switzerland, forward Eero Somervuori is still making bank for Ambri-Piotta of the NLA where he is third on his team in scoring behind former Falcons star J.G. Trudel and former Thrasher Hnat Domenechelli. In 40 games Somervuori has 13 goals and 30 points with 16 penalty minutes.

Oh by the way, Sascha Goc is leading his team in scoring in the German DEL. In 30 games with the Hannover Scorpions the oldest of the Goc boys has 16 goals and 38 points with 87 penalty minutes and a +6 rating. I'm half expecting an e-mail from the shadowy Mr. X telling us we might want to put Goc back up on the prospects page too.

Ahhhhh, my first European Hockey Update away from the third world dictatorship that HF has become. Lets begin:
All in all, the beat goes on in Europe for the Lightning's prospects. They have some excellent overage properties like Somervuori, But and Norrena but have yet to see the explosion from youngsters like Polushin and Kazionov they might've hoped for. The exception to the rule is 2004 entry draft 6th rounder Karri Ramo, who is emerging as one of the two best young goalies in all of Finland after having a remarkable performance at Traverse City.